Illinois Lawmakers Consider Open Burn Permits and Huge Penalties

A hot topic has sparked up this winter in Illinois regarding legislation that is in its earliest stages. It could affect future open burn pits or even a bonfire. Illinois residents have voiced initial disdain at the proposed bill as just another example of Illinois reaching into taxpayer’s pockets.

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House Bill 4459 has only been sent to the rules committee in Springfield as of January 20th, but there is already serious smoke against its current wording and form. If passed, it would allow for counties and municipalities to require permits to be obtained locally and from the Illinois EPA to open burn.

Springfield, where Illinois taxing and spending ideas get solidified into law

One provision in the bill would “Require every county and municipality to create an online publicly-accessible platform that contains certain information.” What does that mean? It means, as of how the bill reads now, that counties and municipalities have to provide an online open burn application, that includes a list of no burn days in the city/town/county, plus a place that people can submit complaints including photos and video of an open burn they believe is occurring without a permit. Essentially a “Karen” button that will alert the manager.

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The plan would also allow local governing bodies to charge up to $5 per open burn permit, with proceeds going to fire prevention, presumably being funneled to local departments. Again, not specific. One thing that is clear is the amounts for being fined. The fine for an open burn without a permit would be $100,000, and the fine for an open burn without a permit on a “no burn day” is $500,000.

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The concern is that the wording isn’t specific about the “where” this would be applied. An open burn could be argued to be a backyard fire pit. With the fines being so severe, taxpayers are worried this is another attempt by a state that habitually taxes anything and everything to extract additional funds from the populace to cover for promises already made at the capital that the state didn’t have the money for in the first place. Open burn, fire pit, or bonfire, the Illinois resident ire fuse has been lit.